Intertwined
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: The interlude between 'Photosynthesis 101' and the upcoming sequel. The actions of three separate mutants affects others as they struggle to deal with a world that has the MRD in it.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: A brief interlude between the two main stories of Deitra and Warren. A year has passed since the end of 'Photosynthesis 101' and there will be overlap between this story and the second installment of Deitra's story. Here the perspective shifts, the story given by unrelated mutants who are all affected by their actions. It is relevant to the sequel of '101', so please give it a chance!

Warning: Violence.

Disclamer: Own all original characters and plotline. Do not own Marvel characters.

This will be a short story to serve as a transition between '101' and its upcoming sequel. As stated, there will be overlap between the two, so they are connected. I hope all the fans of '101' will be willing to give this a shot as they wait for the continuation of Deitra and Warren's story. Also, I realized I named Pietro in several chapters of '101' and that has been corrected before this story was uploaded. This chapter is the short prologue to give you all an idea of what's up. Enjoy!

* * *

The MRD presence was suffocating. Talya brushed her auburn hair over her shoulder, sea-green eyes fixed firmly on her feet as she strode by them. Satisfied they didn't suspect her of being a mutant on guesswork alone, the twenty-four year-old patted the compact mirror in her gray cargo pants pocket with a smug grin and nod. Her white blouse was uncomfortably bunched under the red plaid corset bustier, but she liked how the loose sleeves gathered at her wrist, leaving her hands free. Her combat boots served a similar function, style and service both, and the outfit did double-duty as street gear and efficient fighting wear. Haverstraw was busy, located west of popular Westchester. Recent reports of vigilante activity had caused the government strike team to the normally peaceful town, sending any mutants actually here scattering in panic. One of the lucky who looked human, Talya Dreher was able to blend in and avoid confrontation.

She hated it. Confrontation, that is. Hit and run was more her style, especially these days. _"Those damn vigilantes fucked it up for the rest of us,"_ she thought in irritation, wondering why Magneto hadn't wiped the bunch off the face of the planet yet. Led by the White Queen, Emma Frost, the team's lineup was impressive enough to cause even rogue mutants keep from causing trouble. They lacked any name, but some people had taken to calling them the 'Execs,' slang for the Executioners. The team was ruthless in dispatching MRD agents or anyone else harassing mutants, but were equally vindictive towards mutants who thought they had a free pass to cause trouble. Comprised of defected X-Men and rogue mutants alike, the team was an equalizing force to the powerful government programs created to hunt and lock away mutants for the crime of being different.

The only problem for Talya and those like her was that she enjoyed her lawlessness and hadn't asked anyone to step in and help out. It had been a year since they had made their presence known, the White Queen moving to the Massachusetts Academy and modifying it into a virtual fortress, mutant children safe behind the formidable security. Since that year, mutants who lived their lives on the edges of society were being forced to assimilate, either by pretending to be humans or go underground as most did. Which made their chosen professions of thieves, hackers, swindlers, and general lowlifeness even harder than before.

Yes, life was hard and was only going to get worse, in her opinion. She had been on the streets since she was fourteen, when her powers surfaced and her family panicked. A trip that consisted of hitchhiking and hiding away in cargo lots took her to the United States when she was seventeen, where she quickly learned how to survive. Her powers made that only easier, luckily for her, and she had tried to join the Brotherhood a few times in the past years. But it always seemed some problem or another prevented her - the closest she had gotten was the Alcatraz fiasco, when Magneto was looking for cannon fodder, and she wasn't _that_ stupid. So she settled for wandering the country, stealing what she wanted and avoiding suspicion while doing so.

* * *

Pietro surveyed the progress of Genosha with a critical eye. His father had begun building the metal refuge on a remote island to serve as a refuge for mutants, but it looked more like a prison to him. His sister was still in England, leaving her twin to deal with their father and his current scheme.

"Isn't it grand?" It wasn't so much a question as a proud statement by his father, who floated down to stand next to his son on the cliff overlooking the construction. "Genosha will be a paradise for mutants," he continued grandly, gesturing over the metal and dirt that was strewn across the barren land. Magnus ignored his son's skeptical look and instead concentrated on his dream. He had been reunited with his son a year ago, rescuing him from the MRD and helping Wanda flee to overseas to England.

"Maybe once it doesn't look like a prison yard," his son remarked dryly, unable to resist making cracks at his father's expense. The rest of the Brotherhood was there, what was left of it, and the twenty-five year-old mutant was having a hard time reconciling himself to the fact that the best men his father could manage to lead were the likes of Sabretooth and Pyro. Disgruntled and wishing he had remained in the States, the idea of joining the vigilante team a vague suggestion in his head, Pietro shook his head.

"You have such a narrow vision, Pietro." Magnus sighed in disappointment, aiding the workers by guiding some of the support beams himself. The entire island was going to be covered by a giant metal structure of the sort only the master of metal could build, both a fortress and supposed mutant resort in one. Pietro was having a hard time reconciling the two images in his head and was about to give up, certain his father's newest plan was doomed to fail as well.

* * *

Maya stretched uncomfortably, cramped in between the two MRD agents as she bounced along with the truck. It was impossible to tell what time it was, the back of the truck completely sealed, but she had to guess it was before dark with the way they gripped their guns. The MRD preferred daytime attacks lately, preferring to see who they were fighting lately.

"What time is it?" she asked anyway, gray eyes hidden by her brown hair as it hung in her face, a shield from the blank stares of masked men. They ignored her and she sighed, shifting again and wincing as her shoulders popped. The clothes they provided her weren't horrible looking, she had decided upon receiving them, but she had brightened them up with a crimson scarf she kept draped around to cover the lower half of her face. The rest of her uniform was black, combat boots over a jumpsuit and a long coat with a high collar. The twenty-two year-old was called Scout by the MRD, thanks to her blasted powers that had gotten her caught in the first place. Hers was more passive, the ability to switch her vision to a kind of heat vision, mutants showing in various colors depending on their proximity and power. When the MRD had come to town a year ago, her uncle had sold her out to protect himself, as the agents were arresting anyone possible after a vicious attack by the Execs. Once her power had been beaten out of her, they had decided to use her to find other mutants. She had tried to lie, but the first time they discovered she had was the last time she had dared to try. They had caught the mutant anyway and slit his throat in front of her as punishment.

Since then, the previously bubbly and happy-go-lucky woman was a shell of her former self, withdrawn in guilt and fear. She lived with thoughts of revenge daily, but her dreams of a rescue had long been dashed. No one was coming to save her from the hellhole she was in.

No one even knew she existed.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Well, here's the second installment to this short piece. Please give me feedback!

* * *

"Where are they?" the agent demanded, giving her a shove out of the truck that made her stumble and drop to one knee. Maya quickly straightened and pressed her back against the transport's door, casting furtive glances around the street and hoping the mutants in the town had already been warned about the coming MRD force. They were serving in a cleanup capacity, as the first squad had stormed the town two days ago. She was here to ensure any mutants that could pass for human were caught.

"Give me a second," she grumbled, only to herself, before focusing her gaze on the pavement in front of her booted feet and turning her sight. Her eyes changed from gray irises and black pupils to electric blue dots in a sea of pearlescent hues, causing the men closest to her to shudder. It was a mental process, unable to be explained by words alone, and the synapses in her brain responded to her silent call upon her power. Colors abruptly faded into shades of gray, the agents surrounding her showing up as a shadowy images as did any other human in range. Her heart sank when she spotted bright red signatures several blocks down.

"They're in a basement. Fourteen or fifteen," she said reluctantly, gesturing with a hand in the direction of the shopping center. The agents nodded curtly and one grabbed her arm, hauling her back into the truck and locking her inside. It was all they needed from her. Maya groaned at her betrayal and huddled in the corner furthest from the single window, not wanting to hear when the shots rang out.

* * *

Talya surveyed the four other mutants sharing her lodgings critically. They were being housed in the basement of a department store for the time being, the owner sympathetic to their plight, and one was currently eying a box of glazed doughnuts hungrily. _"He's cute,"_ she thought absently, twirling a finger in her hair as she watched him. He had longish black hair and eyes the color of hazelnuts set against his tan skin. He looked to be about six inches or so taller than her and was lean and fit, goggles holding his hair back as he finally leaned toward the box. He wore all black, a snug T-shirt, knee-padded pants and combat boots, a double-breasted trenchcoat and heavy gloves that looked like they were from a sci-fi movie.

He was with a man that appeared to be his friend, slightly taller with gray eyes and longish blonde hair, a scar marring his otherwise handsome features. He was less bulky than his companion and hunched over, hair moving to reveal two silver studs in his left ear. He was wearing an outfit that echoed what she had seen motorcycle gang members in, high black boots over blue jeans and a green shirt under a black leather jacket trimmed in orange. The other mutants weren't worth noticing, in her opinion, looking like human like her and all appearing to be older.

The black-haired man caught her eye and grinned, one doughnut shoved in his mouth and two more on his fingers. She returned the look and thought about going over to talk to him before he beat her to it, bringing the box with him.

"Hm?" He offered her the box and she shook her head, eliciting a shrug from him. "I'm Ryoga Everon. That's Rainer Levett," he added, gesturing to his friend. "Abyss and Fallout, pleased to meetcha," he continued with a wide grin, offering his hand instead of the box. She took it with a practiced grip and smile of her own.

"Talya Dreher, Vanity," she replied genially, brushing her hair over her shoulder and nodding at the other man. He nodded back a bit uncertainly and rose to his feet just as one of the other mutants jumped to her feet, shrieking.

"They've found us!" she screamed, running for the door without any other explanation. The other mutants exchanged helpless glances, confused and frightened by her outburst, when the door to the basement was slammed open and gas began to seep into the enclosed space.

"Damn!" Talya swore, quickly covering her mouth and backing up, glancing around to see if there was a back door. There was, she saw in relief, just as more MRD agents swarmed through, trapping the mutants.

"You won't take me alive!" a man shouted, but was shot down with the Cure-filled bullets before he could use whatever power he had. Ryoga and Reiner had begun to back towards the wall in Talya's general direction and she could tell they were the thinking the same thing she was. Shrugging, the woman allowed the other mutants to distract the agents with their screaming and sprinted for the back door, surprising the men guarding it.

"Get down!" one ordered, as the guns were raised and aimed. Talya dived into a water puddle near their feet, much to their amazement, and fell through a mirror on the wall a few feet away on their other side. She didn't waste her breath threatening them and instead knocked one down with a well-aimed kick to the head. She didn't notice the two men moving until Reiner grabbed her and hauled her away.

"Hey, let go!" she ordered, struggling against his grip before she realized Ryoga had removed one of those weird gloves and was aiming his palm at the agents. A slow vortex began to form in front of him, blackening until it was a swirling mass of _something_, pulling the agents into it screaming and pleading. It took less than a second and the glove was replaced just as quickly.

"C'mon," he ordered, dashing towards the momentarily-unguarded door to freedom. None of them cared about the other mutants, running around and panicking as the Cure was pumped into each and every one of them. Reiner pushed her ahead of him and Talya found herself between the two men, being dragged along up the stairs and out the door before she could make her own separate run. Ryoga grabbed her hand and pulled her along down the alley and she realized she was straining her legs to keep up with their pace.

"Where are…we going?" she demanded, gasping for air briefly. The two suddenly stopped and exchanged looks and she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, men. Thanks for helping me, but I like to keep a low profile and you two won't help. Don't let the bad guys get you," she said teasingly, before sprinting and diving into the storefront window.

* * *

She came out inside a car's rearview mirror - a Wiesmann GT, she realized in awe, running her hand reverently over the dash before choking on her laughter. _"Who would leave their keys in here?"_ she wondered, before noticing a handicapped sticker that identified the car as a tourist from California. _"His unlucky day,"_ she thought cheerfully, revving the engine for a second before seeing the two mutants dart out into the street a few blocks ahead.

Sighing, Talya thought over her options. She had no idea what the morals of the two were and didn't feel like finding out they were do-gooders and having to dump them somewhere remote at her own risk. On the other hand, they were both good looking and strong, bonus factors she considered before accelerating towards them, pulling up alongside them with a grin.

"Need a lift? I just can't have the thought of you two running around out here on my conscience," she said contritely, giving them a skeptical look. They stared at her in shock and she shrugged. "Well? Are you getting in or what?" she demanded, a bit testily. Damned if she was going to be caught trying to help someone.

"Sure thing," Ryoga agreed, moving to the other side and eying the two-seat interior with dismay.

"Suck it up, man," his friend said over his shoulder with a distinct southern drawl, pushing his shoulder to make his point. Sighing, the mutant slid in, Reiner wedging himself inside as well, both completely uncomfortable with the seating.

"We'll get a bigger car once we're clear," Talya assured them with a snort, amused at their mutual expressions of misery. She liked fast cars and this one proved to be no exception as she flew down the streets, all her energy focused on getting as far away from Haverstraw as humanely - ironically - possible.

* * *

"The last raid was two weeks ago," Pietro mused, lounging in a chair across from his father. Magnus was going over paperwork regarding the construction of Genosha, his only productive obsession from what his son could tell, and barely glanced up at the words.

"And?"

"Jesse Aaronson has gathered quite a bit of intel. He thinks they might be planning an attack on Genosha itself," the young man said. This got his father's attention and the master of metal stared at him in amazement.

"What?" he managed. "They're such fools to attack Genosha itself? Are you sure Bedlam has reliable sources?" he demanded, rising to his feet and beginning to pace near the window. They were situated in a mansion Magnus had built on the tiny island of Comoros, able to see the man-made island of Genosha just off the horizon, a perfect place for observation.

Pietro shrugged, folding the paper on his knee. "His powers are enough to find anything we need," he reminded his father. "I think we should evacuate until we're sure it's safe for workers to be there."

Magnus snorted at this suggestion and turned on his son angrily. "We will not allow those humans to destroy what we are working for!" he spat. "Let them come! Get John in here and begin preparations," he snapped, turning back to the window with arms crossed behind his back. His son sighed heavily, but rose and strode toward the door, pressing a button next to it absently to alert the pyro that their leader wanted him before zipping away.

* * *

Maya struggled against her captors' grips, shaking her head as tears of anger leaked out the corners of her eyes. "I won't do it!" she yelled, digging her heels against the floor and receiving a slap for her efforts. "You won't make me do it!" she continued, managing to kick one of the agents in the kneecap and stumbled backwards in surprise.

"You'll do what we say to if you want to live," another man snapped, grabbing her neck and pulling her towards him angrily. "You need to tell us how strong the mutants at the island are," he told her. Her powers would be enough to forewarn the MRD, allowing them time to plan a strategy and stock up on as many weapons as would be necessary. They weren't worried about human workers, considering them guilty by association.

"My life isn't worth living, you bastard!" she shouted, spitting in his face. The agent she had kicked lifted his nightstick and brought it down heavily on the back of her head, causing her to go limp in the next instant.

"Keep her bound and make sure she stays quiet. I don't want any telepaths finding her," the agent in charge ordered, glancing at the vials of the Cure nearby. "And use one of those if necessary. It'll wear off anyway," he said with a snort, striding away. A third agent grunted as he hefted Maya over his shoulders and strode down the ramp, passing by more of the MRD force loading transports with heavy artillery.

* * *

The walls were almost complete, blocking off the interior of the island from the rest of the world as Magnus had planned. The only weak point was a narrow section on the reef end of the coast, where support beams stretched across to form the basic frame as workers began to move steel frames into place. They were human only - all available mutants had been assigned look-out spots around the perimeter to await the arrival of the MRD and their weapons.

Pietro had volunteered to take the mainland coast survey, able to move easier across the flat land than the rocky shoreline of the island. He had no desire to take part in the bloodbath his father desired either and planned on disappearing quietly to England with his sister if things went against the island. He had spent the last three days alternating between scouting and utter boredom, trying to occupy himself playing cards and failing. Dressed in a black bodysuit and boots, he was alone, having decided it was more important to have the others on the island and not wanting a witness if he ran.

"Ah, here we go," he murmured, his gaze snapping up as the rumble of trucks alerted him to the approach of the MRD. He hid behind a boulder nearby and whistled as the force came into view. They had transport trucks loaded with weapons and agents, all prepared for a marine mission, speedboats armed with guns loaded on the backs of heavy trucks. _"This doesn't look good,"_ he thought with a heavy sigh, but still holding out hope that his father would be able to fight them all with his powers. Thought most of the weapons he could see had the dull sheen of plastic, there was enough metal scattered around that would prove a useful weakness. Pietro crouched down as the trucks slowed to a stop several feet from the beach and doors began to open, agents pouring out of them with an impressive show of force.

_"Hello, what's this?"_ he thought in surprise, narrowing his eyes when he saw two agents dragging a young woman closer to the edge of the sea, the bright crimson of her scarf making her stick out like a sore thumb among all the black of the MRD. She was struggling, that much was obvious, and Pietro frowned when he realized she was a mutant, if the needle loaded with the tell-tale Cure was anything to go by. He moved a little closer, unnoticed with his speed, trying to hear.

"Would you drown me and get it over with!" she snapped, arching her neck away from the needle pressing against.

"Just do your job, you little mutant bitch, and we can all end this quietly," one of the men ordered roughly, giving her a shake by her elbow. The mutant shuddered as the needle pierced her skin, the other man ready to apply the dose if necessary, and she seemed to shrink in on herself.

"Fine," she whispered, opening her eyes. Pietro watched with interest as they shifted colors and wondered what she was doing for them. Her gaze slid over in his direction and he stiffened when he saw her eyes widen slightly.

_"Can she see through things?"_ he wondered, not moving a muscle as she abruptly moved past him and down the horizon, squinting against the bright sun overhead.

"I can't see," she said finally. "It's too far."

"Don't give us that bullshit. How many?" the agent demanded, shaking her again. She winced this time and shook her head stubbornly.

"I can't see," she repeated, thrown to the ground in anger this time.

"All right, if you want to make your last stand here, so be it. The captain said it'd wear off after a while anyway," the man said with a shrug, gesturing to the man with the needle. The young woman's eyes widened and she scooted backwards on the sand, pausing when she felt the surf licking her hands.

"Stay still, you brought it on yourself," the other agent ordered, dropping to a crouch and grabbing her leg to pull him towards her. She cried out in fear and Pietro made a split-second decision. Before the agents realized what happened, the girl had disappeared from their grasp, leaving no trace of her behind other than her prints in the sand.

"What the fuck?" the first agent managed, looking around wildly. "Where the fuck did the bitch go?"

"The captain isn't going to be happy," the other man warned him, straightening with a sigh.

"Fuck him. She drowned, got it?" his superior ordered sharply, turning away from the sea with several more muttered curses for good measure. The other man shrugged and fell into step behind him, not caring either way.

* * *

Maya gasped when they finally came to a stop, taking a moment to register what had happened. Pietro let her slip from his arms carefully, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder as she looked around in amazement.

"What happened? Who're you?" she asked weakly, turning to stare up at him. She was small, his six feet beating her height of five-four easily, and his blue eyes and silver hair struck her as exotic.

"Pietro Maximoff," he replied in amusement, peering down at her. "You?"

"Maya Kingston," she told him automatically. It took a moment for her to realize who he was and she gasped again once she did. "Wait, you're Magneto's son?" she demanded, taking an automatic step away from him in shock. He nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yep. So, what were you doing with the MRD?" he asked, keeping an eye on her as she fidgeted.

"I was handed over to them by my uncle a year ago," she finally said, after a few minutes of heavy silence. "I'm Scout. I can register mutant heat signatures and block out humans, pinpointing locations. And I can tell how powerful a mutant is by their color," she added hesitantly, unsure if telling Pietro was a good idea. "They brought me along to see how powerful the force is at Genosha," she continued, feeling an explanation was necessary.

"And could you?"

She shook her head. "I could see you. But Genosha is too far away. Just enough," she added nervously. "I mean, I could see the really powerful ones, but most everything else was just a blur. I guess I have my limits like everyone else." Maya laughed nervously, unsure whether she was going to be punished for spying or not.

"You're damn lucky I was there or you'd be powerless right now," Pietro informed her. "And sick. You have any place to go?" he asked, able to guess the answer in the next minute from the expression on her face.

"That was a joke, right?" She shook her head and stared down at the sand. "I can make my own way if you want to leave me here. I didn't mean to interfere with anything. I appreciate you rescuing me, though," she added earnestly, looking back up at him with a small smile. He waved his hand, trying to think what to do. He felt bad about just leaving her in the middle of the beach and sighed.

"I can at least get you to a safe place before you get yourself shot or captured again. Come on, I'll piggyback you so we can put some distance between us and them," he offered, dropping to a crouch. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her surprised expression and sighed again. "Come on, already," he ordered.

Nodding, Maya silently climbed on his back, arms wrapped firmly around his neck as he stood up. "Are you sure?" she asked in his ear, sounding as if she thought he was going to bring her back to the MRD any second.

"Yeah. Just hang on, I won't drop you," Pietro ordered, before speeding further away from the beach and the noise of machines.


End file.
